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The Cataclysm
The Cataclysm is the name the Orans ascribed to the second war with the Mirans. The Prophetess 500 years after the first war, The Scourge, life in Oraclos was peaceful. Miriam Vesta came of age under the rule of Surges La'Fontaine, a very unremarkable king. From the beginning, she knew her destiny and traveled the kingdom and told fortunes, past and future. She performed miracles at each of the temples, and because of her actions, people started claiming she was Cassius reborn or Goddess-blessed. Eventually, she caught the ear of the king, and when she came to Temple Nexus, he visited her. She proclaimed herself the rightful queen to his face and told him of a grim future should he continue to rule. The public was torn. Miriam was very popular, but to challenge a king was treason, punishable by damnation. Surges, however, had seemed to take the challenge incredibly well. He told her that he had waited a long time for her, and he brought her into his court. And, without any trouble at all, he abdicated the throne, passing it down to her. Gudrun and Javier carried over their positions as Guardians into Miriam's rule, and Alima, Darroch, and Yoseba inherited their positions from their predecessors. Bisha, alone, was picked by Miriam herself as they were friends. Every other member of the court remained the same, and although her position as Queen received mix reviews at first, they quickly accepted her when she showed great judgment and control. Far-Seeing Queen Miriam's first act as Queen of Oraclos was to warn her kingdom that the barrier between Oraclos and Miraclos was waning, and a war was upon them. But then, she assured everyone that there was no reason to fear. They were going to prepare, and the goddess was with them. She kept her promise, quickly putting into action preparations and preventative measures. They gathered supplies in case they couldn't leave, and they blocked off areas where there had been tears before. Extra defenses were added to the temples, and they prepared and trained their weapons and soldiers ahead of time. The Guardians were also trained to be able to use their divine powers and then were sent to protect the temples, their original purpose. However, without her guardians around, Miriam was often left alone, and she refused to see anyone unless absolutely necessary. Her one personal project was to construct an altar in the sanctum to hold the calling stone. She spent all of her time there, and eventually, shelves were added so that she would have something to pass her time. They filled to the brim with her favorite books and scrolls. War Begins The first Mirans to appear from beyond the barrier were in the mountains, in the north near Acero Peak. Gudrun was quick to respond and deftly dispatched them. They were only beasts of corruption, but they were naturally malicious. From there, they started to appear at more temples, and because of the preparations, they were easily taken care of. However, more enemies had appeared in Mara than they had anticipated, new tears appearing. Battle of Temple Eo It was assumed to be a coincidence, or even the Goddess' blessing, that Miriam was in Ruh-Bi when the tears opened. She mobilized her guard and marched to Charoth. At the same time, Bisha, who had received a letter from Yoseba, also made her way to Charoth. Naturally, Miriam reached the enemy first, amongst the hills near Temple Eo. Her forces fought with the enemy, and she approached the leader alone. However, she was not a fighter. As much confidence as she held going into the fight, she was a scholar, not a soldier, and she was quickly put into a disadvantageous position. She suffered a grievous injury and had to retreat. Yoseba swooped in afterward and finished the job, rescuing Miriam and bringing her back to the temple. The priests of the temple were able to stabilize her, but she would have been lost over time if Bisha had not shown up and healed her. A Swift, Sanguine Victory After the incident at Eo, Miriam was confined to the castle. Everyone had assumed that her knowledge of events was borne of a supernatural power, something goddess-given, but really it was because of knowledge. Without knowledge of the events outside the castle, she couldn't make accurate predictions. However, she utilized the Nahesa'oki and received reports from across the kingdom via falcon. Using this method, she gave orders from the castle to easily bring down the numbers rifts. Soon enough, she knew that the enemy would muster the last of their reserves and attack the castle directly. She had the Nahesa'oki track where tears were appearing around the castle and then sent the Raseri to the furthest ones and set guards around the closest. The Mirans were dead as soon as they stepped out. The only thing left was to seal the barrier, and with no threat left, she had time to set up the proper precautions. With help from her Guardians, the barrier was sealed, and she emerged unscathed. A Silent, Solemn End After the war was over, Miriam became even more of a recluse than she already was. She stopped making appearances, stopped talking to anyone in the castle, and even seemed to be declining in health. No matter how much Bisha spoke to her, she refused to open up. And then it happened, one day, a maid happened upon Queen Miriam's body in the Sanctum. She had been stabbed in the chest, the offending dagger still in her hand. On the altar, next to the Calling Stone's case, was a note written by Miriam herself. Repercussions In response to Queen Miriam's death, the church removed all portraits of her and Cassius, and they erased any records of her death. In spite of her accomplishments, the only mention of Miriam in history is the fact that she led the kingdom through the second war and had no heirs. After Miriam's death, her Guardians disbanded and went their separate ways. Surges La'Fontaine's heir, his nephew Louis, took power and created an entirely new court, hoping to breathe new life in the stuffy old castle. In protest of the church's decision to erase all information having to do with Miriam, the Nahesa'oki rebranded themselves as the Queen's Scouts with a special branch answering directly to the queen called the Queen's Guard. Category:History